What meals do you cook after coming home from evening?

[byt86]

So I'm going to back to work, husband will be on shifts, 2 children will be fed at a family member's house, I'm unsure what to cook when I get back, other than stuff that I can quickly throw in the oven which isn't obviously the healthiest, so what meals do you do after coming in?

I work Mon- Fri, so on Sun I do an extra dinner - e.g. Stirfry with pieces of roast - have it prepped in a lunch box takes ten minutes to stir fry and throw in some noodles/rice. I usually have a lasange/sheppards pie etc prepped on Sun also - this usually suits after swimming Tuesday night. Wednesday - home made pizza with bought side salad - Thursday is pasta night and Friday is fake away/take away. If I dont prep Sunday it knocks me out but sometimes needs must - then I might pick up a cooked chicken and have baked potatoes.

I make use of a Slow Cooker, they are amazing !

Batch cook for the freezer. Take a tub out in the morning and then just need pasta/potatoes and salad/veg on the side.

Lots of pasta based quick dinners.

Stir fry.

Salmon (or other fish) and veg.

Most important thing is to meal plan and make sure food for the week is in at the weekend. Else it’s easy to resort to take away or less healthy freezer food.

Cheese on toast
Beans on toast with hard boiled eggs
Chips and fish fingers
The best is batch cook in slow cooker, freeze in portions. Like a healthy ready meal! Use micro rice and also can freeze mash in bulk too. Although beef chili with bread is a guilty pleasure
For veg can microwave or boil any random fresh veg in 15 mins or less.

Batch cook
Or salmon / other fish in the microwave with veg and new potatoes
Cold meat - ham or chicken probably - left over from roast, with salad or cauliflower cheese.
Stir fryy

Made sausages with mashed potatoes tonight, I have another portion ready made for tomorrow’s lunch.
I also made soup, I’ll have some tomorrow night and for lunch on Wednesday. Wednesday I’m having a sausage sarnie for dinner, I’m going shopping for food. Thursday I’ll defrost something from the freezer, I’ll be knackered (got some chilli and some macaroni cheese in there).
Friday I’m making pizza.
HTH

I do a mix of two things; either something quick I just shove in the oven (like tonight it's Waitrose chicken Kiev and potato slices and I'll microwave some mixed veg), or it's something from scratch but quick too. Nigella's Express cook book and Jamie Olivers five ingredient book are great, and I've just bought a one dish book.

Beans on toast
Baked potato
Omelette
Sandwich and salad
Soup

I can't be bothered having a big meal at that time if it's just me. I do make up for it by making sure I take a good lunch on my work days though so I'm not usually very hungry.

Whatever you decide to do, share the workload by having DH cook while he's on the 'right' shift.

Eg if he gets home from work mid afternoon, he can cook the evening meal that week.

It will take awhile , but every time you make something from scratch spag bol , chilli , casserole etc , and if finances allow , double up and freeze half , it really helps.

Try Simply Cook - lots of tasty things to try, takes 20 mins. You just buy the spice pots, and add them to your own fresh ingredients. Works out at £2.50 per meal, we're having Vietnamese Clay Pot Cod tonight. Yum

Do you mean getting in and cooking for one ?

Can you eat a 'main meal' at lunchtime (canteen, cafe?) -that's my choice rather than thinking about bothering to cook for one at the end of the day.

Other than that, I'd do left overs / extra portion of Sunday's main meal for Monday. Then prep something for the slow cooker to have for Tues and Wed. Something I can just shove in the oven, like a kiev or some fish or something out of the freezer.... or jacket potato ...or soup.... or X on toast.....or a quick pasta and sauce with something like bacon or ham or chiritzo.......for other meals.

Or does your dh take food to work / eat at home when not on shift too ? In which case slow cooker meals are king.......curries, chilli, bolognaise, casseroles, etc

If I know I'm out all day then the slow cooker is my go to. Shove in everything in the morning and it's then ready for you when you get home. You can pretty much cook anything in it and some come with timers so it will switch itself off if you're worried about over cooking.

Following for ideas